The Guardian
by moonskie
Summary: Sasuke, more depressed than ever lands a job at the local newspaper. He soon learns he is forced to work with Naruto, an incredible annoyance. How does Sasuke deal with learning he may be attracted to men? Even worse, Naruto? NaruxSasu, possible lemon.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Sasukes POV

High school was over, and so was my wondrous popularity. Of course, as soon as my youthful face grew slightly rugged, the screaming fan girls immediately moved on. They started to realize there was no attention coming from my end, and eventually smartened up enough to give their attention to someone deserving of it. I wish I could say I wasn't phased, but in reality it was one of the biggest shocks I've had to face. To go from having girls faint by simply brushing their shoulder to being constantly ignored is quite painful as well as awakening. I wasn't much of a talker in the first place, but in the rare occasion there was something I needed to get off my chest, I always had someone more than willing to lend an ear. Throughout high school, all I wished for on a daily basis was some peace and quiet, yet now that I received it, I was faced with nothing but regret. Why couldn't I bask in the glory of fame and followers when I had the chance? The only sound that ever filled the gloomy empty box I call an apartment was the sound of the high way, much too close to my house. I sometimes liked to stare out the window and watch the cars go by. I wondered if those people are going to see their loved ones, if they even _had _loved ones. Maybe they were like me, lonely and depressed. I wish I at least had someone to blame for this earth shattering sadness, but there is only myself at fault.

I developed a little bit of a personality disorder, I guess you could say. A mix of social anxiety, with a little bit of post traumatic stress disorder, and a pinch of cocky attitude. Who am I kidding, anyone else you'd ask would tell you ninety-three percent of my personality consists of cocky attitude. I can't deny it or I can't continue lying to myself. I was full of shit, I chased people away, and I am now in a rut that somehow feels permanent. Here I am, 19 years old, feeling more sorry for myself than that hooker down the street.

My living situation was less than pleasant. I was the lone survivor of my family. My parents both passed away in an unknown accident, at least that's what my brother told me. Every time I tried to bring up the subject, he'd either throw a tantrum and leave or smack me. One day my parents were here, and the next they never returned home from work. Before I got to learn the truth, my brother**'**s hooligan friends got him murdered in a drive by shooting. It's rather ironic he was the one involved in illegal activity when my entire family deemed him to be the intelligent one, the one who would bring pride to my parents. The rest of my extended family is nowhere to be found. Well, I guess I shouldn't say that. I'd probably find them with ease if I bothered to search. They didn't look for me, and I wasn't particularly interested in looking for them either. This leaves me with nothing, except a giant inheritance from my parents.

One of the greatest mistakes I'd made was continuing to live in a house this size. I never realized thatthis amount of empty space could make one feel empty inside as well. Furniture shopping was never much of an interest to me, so my house was very simplistic and well organized in contrast to my thoughts and feelings which were unorganized and jumbled. Some days when I walk into my house and I see the stairs straight ahead of me, I giggle a little. It amuses me knowing that there is a giant floor upstairs filled with empty bedrooms. It amazes me to know that less than a year ago I thought this much space would barely suffice. I don't recall what I was planning to do with the space. A part of me feels it was in memory of my family. My father always loved grand things and my mother loved modest, simple things. This house represents both of them in someway. I sold a majority of my family's things when they passed away. It was too much to bear, smelling their scent every time I walked by their room and hearing their music every time I turned on the record player. Maybe along with selling their things, I should have sold this house. I could've bought a little one bedroom apartment, and even that would be more than enough.

In terms of schooling, as soon as high school was over I decided to enclose myself within the safety of my spacious house (I would call it a home, if I were feeling more comfortable living here.) Despite the amount of scholarships being shoved in my face by universities, I wasn't interested. I had enough money to last me my entire life, and then some. Then again, I didn't spend too much money on myself. Not becomes I am greedy, but because I don't see the need to indulge myself in buying things for the ephemeral happiness they offer. I sometimes wish I had accepted an offer just so I could get away from this place I've been my whole life, this place that sucks away whatever happiness is left in my minuscule heart.

You may be wondering by now, how exactly I'm doing in the relationship department. If you had any sense left in you, you'd realize I'm doomed to be single forever because no girl shall ever want to be with me. Why would they? I have nothing to offer but a place to stay, and nearly unlimited bundles of cash. I have no warmth, no sense of security to offer. I have no kindness left in me to make anyone feel worthy of respect. I gave up from the first day of high school, back in grade 9, when I realized girls were annoying and guys were jealous freaks. Having a relationship now is the least of my worries, but maybe should be placed higher on the priorities list considering I'm destined to rot in this house alone. Not even alone with 4 cats; simply alone. Sometimes, I wonder if there is such a thing as soul mates, but then I remember it's all fairy tales. How can someone wish to spend the rest of their lives with me?

Lately, I had started looking for a job. Of course, I don't need the money. I need to get out, I need to be a part of something. My whole life I've done nothing but sulk in sadness that originated out of thin air. Maybe then I could meet some people and make some friends. Those friends have to be quiet, and enjoy sitting around doing nothing the way I do most of the time. I checked the newspaper daily for any new job opportunities, but nothing seemed to fit my interests. I don't even know what my interests are, if I have any. I seem to have had a nonchalant attitude towards everything I've ever encountered throughout my whole life. Sometimes-

_Ring-Ring_

"Hello? No." -clicks-

Fucking telemarketers. The only people to ever call my house are telemarketers which is fairly sad if you really think about it. How lonesome. Of course, when I'm out and about, buying the supplies I need for the week, no one can really see the sadness in my eyes. I've been told my eyes scream murder and hatred rather than depression. Although I've had my bouts of violence in life, especially high school, I never considered myself to be someone who would go on murderous rampages throughout town. Where was I? I've been sending out resumes, but people have yet to call me back. I've applied to various places such as the Yamanaka flower shop, the ramen shop, and most recently the town's local newspaper, the Guardian. I had nothing interesting to say, but I do have my writing skills which I wouldn't mind putting to good use.

Continuing my train of thought, I came to the conclusion that heading down to the Guardian "headquarters" as they called it would be the best way to show the employers my interest in being hired. Yes, it's true; I have absolutely no job experience. What I do have though is amazing concentration and multitasking. It's incredibly easy for me to get work done, and get it done right. This is speaking from school experience only, but I'm sure it can be applied to the work force as well.

On my walk (vehicles are for tools) there, I couldn't help but feel the stares singe through my skin and hear the whispers rape my ears.

_Look who finally came out of hiding. _

_He still lives around here? _

_Wow, was he in a fight? His eyes are so dark underneath..._

_Why was everyone so crazy about him? _

It stopped affecting me long ago. Well, this has only been happening for a year, but my ability to adapt is incredible. I simply keep my head down, and pretend I don't notice. I don't really care about what they have to say about me, to be completely honest. If I don't care about anyone, why exactly would I care about their vicious thoughts toward me? I don't have any pleasant thoughts about them, but at least I don't go around yelling them to everyone that crosses my path.

Nothing has changed since I was a child. The cherry blossoms never failed to bloom beautifully in the spring, giving me a giddy feeling deep within my heart, a feeling that shouldn't be felt by a 19 year old, according to what my father would say about my brother. This year, the blossoms were more beautiful than ever. Caressing the details of the petals with my vision, a sudden pang of distress shot right through me. The Guardian people had only heard my professional sounding voice through a telephone. They have yet to see my face, and the so called demonic eyes I posses. What impression would I make going in disheveled and smelling like rotten cheese?

I ran back to my house as fast as I could, took a shower, and for the first time in my life put some effort into my appearance. I gelled my hair into the spikes I used to wear back in high school, put on my typical black clothes, only this time they were laundered and a spray of the cologne that the girls used to go crazy for. Feeling a lot more confident, I headed back to the Guardian, and walked in through the front doors without a care. I was overwhelmed by the amount of doors and stairs that lead to the many different sections of the headquarters. It did look massive from the outside, but having walked through these doors for the first time, this is definitely not what I expected.

I was immediately greeted by a stout man wearing a Security vest.

"What are you looking for son?" My lost expression may have given me away.

"The receptionist I guess," I said with a bored tone, the one that was part of my voice for as long as I can remember.

"I'll take you there, not to worry," he said, forcing a smile.

I followed him through what seemed to be a labyrinth. After what felt like forever, we finally reached a desk where a pink haired woman was talking on the phone. I politely thanked the security guard with a simple nod (it was sufficient in my opinion), and waited for the lady to get off the phone. The longer I watched her, the more I continued to wonder if I had seen her somewhere before. Her clueless green eyes and choppy cherry blossom hair stuck neatly in a pony tail felt extremely familiar. Even her red zip up shirt and small frame continued to make me wonder if I had possibly attended high school with her. It was sort of rude to leave me standing here, and continue talking on the phone. I mean, she could-My thoughts were quickly interrupted by her sudden choking. I hadn't realized she noticed me starting.

"Are you okay?" I asked with no sense of urgency in my voice. I had to say something, if I wanted to make a good impression.

"Yeah -cough-, perfect," she said without hesitating another second. "How can I help you?"

Her eyes were bulging out of her head, in the least attractive way. She must've recognized me.

"I sent in my resume a couple of weeks ago, and did an over the phone interview last Monday. I have yet to receive a call back, and I was wondering if there was any way I could check the status of my application." I tried not to look into her eyes too much. This was awkward enough.

"Oh.. You're going to be working here?" She said with a slight flirtatious giggle.

It was simple enough. She was interested in me once again, this should be so easy. Although, it kind of makes me sad. I had to spend extra time on my appearance just so I could receive the assistance I should receive in the first place. I bet if I headed here directly without running back home to get properly ready, she wouldn't even have recognized me or given me the time of day.

"Well... Hopefully. That's if you want to help me out." I smirked near the end of my sentence, immediately detecting the pupils in her eyes grow larger. My mother always told me when I was little that when a girls pupils get bigger at the sight of me, she's interested. It has not failed me once.

"Oh! Yes! I'd love to!" She grinned immensely. "Let me just get my manager for you, one second."

I watched her get up in haste, and running out of the room before I could ask her if she even knew my name.

Within minutes she came back, tired and out of breath. "Mr. Hatake will be waiting for you upstairs."

As if I knew how to get upstairs.

"Oh right, do you need assistance getting there?" She acted surprised.

I simply nodded, feeling I no longer had to act playful and flirty around her. She had served her purpose.

I followed her close behind, but not too close. The last thing I wanted was to continue giving her the wrong impression. She stopped behind giant glass doors, and motioned for me to go ahead. Reluctantly, I stepped in and turned my head to watch her head back towards her little office. Looking straight ahead, I saw a tall man with grey hair sitting in an incredibly soft looking office chair. His face didn't look a day over 25, which made me wonder why his hair would be such an odd colour. He must've noticed my eerie quietness, because he suddenly cleared his throat. I understood what he was expecting.

"Hello Mr. Hatake, my name is S-"

"I know. Mrs. Haruno informed me you wanted to see me concerning your job application. Sit down Sasuke," his tone wasn't too serious, I noticed. It was slightly endearing, the way you'd expect a teachers to be. I followed his instruction, and sat down in the leather chair placed directly in front of his, across the beautifully carved wooden table.

"Now, I was not the one who did the interview so please, tell me why you feel you would be a great member of our reporter team."

It was easy to feel comfortable around him.

"I am an avid reader and writer in my spare time, and feel my writing abilities are perfect for your requirements. I work efficiently, and put my time and skills to good use unlike the majority of the people that work for you, I'm willing to bet." I skipped mentioning the fact that all my time is spare time.

"You are a great writer Sasuke. The samples I received from my hiring team were definitely what I am looking for. Now what exactly is your availability?"

Don't sound too desperate.

"I can work everyday, except weekends." I said, hesitating a couple of seconds.

"Excellent. Now I have someone for you to meet." He happily punched in some numbers into his cell phone, and mumbled something into his ear piece.

A couple of minutes later, the most obnoxious looking boy ran in through the door, and sat down on the chair beside me, beaming with joy.

"You may be wondering what this is."

No shit, why is there another guy in here, acting as if he just received the biggest bonus of his life?

"Yes, I don't understand." I gave the boy a cold stare. He didn't even seem to notice.

"It is part of our probation program. You work for 1 month with someone who is new, just as yourself, and if we feel you are both doing your job properly, you can continue to work here. Of course, I expect nothing but the best from you two."

"So why must I work with him?"

"Why not?" exclaimed the blonde with a look of concern.

"Oh Sasuke, please. I'm sure you guys will be buddies in no time." He smiled at the two of us, as if he expected a massive bonding moment to ensue.

"Come on you two, shake hands."

Looking at the blonde, I felt nothing but disgust. Why must he be so fucking excited? I thought this job would be me doing my writing in peace. Of course the initial intention was to make a couple of friends, but not this over excited idiot. He was too much for me.

He smiled as great as he could, sticking his hand out toward me. I hesitantly shook his hand, immediately retracting it.

"I'm so glad to meet you uh..." he said, clearly not knowing my name. How could he anyway? This dumbass of a boss can't expect us to be psychics.

"Where are my manners? I forgot to introduce you two! Sasuke Uchiha, meet Naruto Uzumaki."

What did I get myself into?

-x-

I'm not sure how long I will take to update, but hopefully not too long. Please, review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Completely stunned, I just sat there. What could I possibly do now? I just got hired. I could not just ungratefully turn around and give my best regards as I quit. I wasn't completely sure who to look at anymore; the moron who hired me, or the moron I have to work with.

"I'm so excited to work with you Sasuke!"

I felt my face uncontrollably cringe.

"Oh god," I couldn't help but say.

Mr. Hatake gave me a disapproving look.

"Look, sir. Are you sure there's absolutely no way to change your mind about this? I work better... independently."

"No complaints Sasuke, rules are rules. Now the two of you drop by Miss Haruno's desk to pick up your first task."

"Oh boy, this is just awesome! Isn't it Sasuke?"

I was almost frightened. The only response I could think of was getting up and leaving the room before I was too inclined to shoot my brain out. Of course, he immediately followed behind me, nearly springing out of his seat with excitement.

"Why can't you just calm down?" I tried to be as polite as my personality would allow, but there isn't much politeness I was born with. Must be from my dad's side of the family.

"Calm down? How can I calm down when we have a job to do? The world is depending on us!" He was nearly yelling.

It's hard to imagine this guy is serious. What's even harder to imagine is that I set myself up for this. I could've been sitting at home right now, continuing to enjoy my silence and my books.

"You realize one little town won't perish without some crappy story we're going to write?" Wow, I said more than 6 words at once to someone I completely disliked. Peculiar.

"Oh come on, don't be such a party pooper!" I could sense the disappointment in his voice. "This is going to be incredibly fun, mark my words."

I was hoping to forget him as soon as possible, but he didn't need to know this. Where exactly am I going? I want to ask this tool bag for directions, but I don't want him to think I need him or anything odd like that.

The longer we walked in silence, the more awkward it got. I'm willing to bet the awkward feelings were only on my part though, considering he still continues to look as happy as ever.

"Sasuke-kun, where are we going?"

"Miss Haruno's office." Maybe he wouldn't notice we're completely lost in the biggest labyrinth of all time. What did he call me?

"But isn't this the wrong way?"

"Then lead the way, idiot."

Despite being called an idiot, Naruto still smiled at me as if I just called him sweetheart. He turned around, and I followed. If it were anyone else, I would have been completely embarrassed but this boy looks like a fool. I cannot feel embarrassed around someone like him.

Within minutes, we arrived at her office and Naruto's smile turned from large to non existent. I can almost feel high school drama in the air.

"Sakura, we need the first assignment," he said confidently. I wasn't aware we can refer to each other on a first name basis.

"Hmph, how did you score a job like this?" She didn't appear to be too happy either.

"Are you intimidated Sakura? Are you upset I got a fancy job like you and you didn't think I could do it?" It was almost amusing to see him rub it in her face.

"Naruto, shut up. Here, take your stupid assignment and go." With that, she shoved a piece of paper in Naruto's face, and turned around. As fast as she turned her back on us, she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, I hope you like it here Sasuke-kun!" She smiled at me, then glared one more time at Naruto as I started to walk away. I could hear Naruto's feet scurry closely behind me.

"How do we get out of this building?" I asked without making eye contact, hoping not to sound too needy.

"Oh, simple. I'll show you the way." He was back to his normal self. Well, to be honest, I wasn't too sure what normal meant for Naruto.

"So! What do you do in your spare time?"

"No offense, but I'm not particularly interested in being friends."

"Why not?"

"You're not my type." That sounded so incredibly gay. "Of friend I mean."

"I'm sure I could be, if you told me what you'd like."

"Look, I don't like anything including you. The faster we finish the assignment, the faster we can start ignoring each other."

He didn't comment anything in return, which almost startled me. The walk towards the exit was incredibly awkward and quiet. I felt an urge to say something, to apologize, but that would be an incredible mistake. I suppressed the urge completely, and placed it in the back of my mind. I wouldn't feel pity for some annoying piece of shit, that didn't know when to be quiet. I quickly pulled out my cell phone, hoping that if I seemed not to care, the awkward moment will pass. No new messages, no missed calls. I don't know why I bother anymore, no one talks to me anyway.

I could not control it any longer.

"What does the paper say?"

His beady blue eyes stared right into mine, full of confusion.

"Well..?" I prompted.

"Oh. Right. Let's see.. Hmmm. Deadline... Minimum length... Topic. Okay here we go. 'The biggest issue that plagues our town.' Well that's random," he said with a confused look.

"Ridiculous. When exactly is the deadline?"

Appearing a little nervous, he looked up from the sheet of paper and mumbled, "tomorrow.."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Well no, Sasuk-"

"It was a rhetorical question dumbass, don't answer that." How could someone with such low intelligence expect to be writing a quality article for a paper that nearly every citizen reads?

"Well we better get started then," he said excitedly. I really wonder where all his energy comes from. Not even just his energy, his motivation never ceases to impress me either.

"Yeah I guess." Walking out of the door, I awaited the dreaded question. I didn't want to bring him over, but I didn't want to go over to his house either. Someone as over the place as himself must have a messy home.

"So should we go to the library?" he asked. Not exactly what I was expecting. I was just about to suggest the library myself, but I remembered it closes early on Mondays. What a shitty day to close early. What kind of a library is this?

"Dumbass, the library is about to close any minute now."

"Oh. Sorry.." he suddenly looked incredibly sad. His high and mighty shoulders suddenly drooped down, making him look like the hunch back of Notre Dame.

I punched his shoulder, not too hard. "Cheer up idiot, just figure out where we're going to go." His eager smile returned and he suggested my house before I could saying anything else.

"I don't think that would be such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"My house is rather sacred."

"Do you think you're too cool for me?"

"Why do you have to turn every conversation into something completely retarded?"

Before I knew it, we were walking towards my house both enjoying the silence. The breeze felt amazing against my skin, and I noticed the temperature dropped a few degrees since I first left my house today. We nearly reached my house when he decided to speak again, this time not completely annoying me.

"Have you noticed the cherry blossoms? They're my favourite. They're just so beautiful." I wasn't sure he was capable of saying anything slightly mature.

"Yeah, I agree." The silence continued again until we reached my house.

"Woah, you live here? I mean, I heard you were rich but I didn't know your house was this extravagant."

"It's no big deal."

"NO BIG DEAL? You have to show me around Sasuke-kun!"

"Please don't call me that."

"But we're friends."

"No we're not." I started to open the door.

"Yes, we have to be!"

"Just get in dumbass, before I lock you out."

He rushed inside and was sitting on the couch before I had a chance to protest.

"Don't get too comfortable."

"Oh man, this couch is awesome!"

"The computer is upstairs."

"That's why you told me not to get too comfortable..." He appeared as if he just had a revelation.

"There we go, now we're making connections." I spoke slowly for him this time, attempting to insult him once more.

I started walking up the stairs, and heard him practically jogging up behind me. I moved over to the side, letting him through. There was nothing that I was particularly concerned about hiding anyway. He walked up the right hallway, miraculously the one that contained my room. As I reached the top of the steps, I saw him standing there with a clueless expression.

"Sasuke-kun, why are all the doors open except this one?"

"Don't touch that."

"Why?"

"Idiot, you're in my way, my room is farther up."

"So who are all these other rooms for?" he asked, pointing around to the immensely large hallway.

"You seriously ask too many questions," I said as I turned left into my room, and stood in the doorway. Maybe it was a mistake bringing him here.

I could feel his head right over my shoulder, peeking inside. It gave me goosebumps, feeling real human contact for the first time in years. I wanted to turn my head to face him, and tell him to get off of me but I was too nervous to see his face so close up.

"Your room is huge Sasuke-kun! It's the size of my whole apartment." His eyes floated around the room in awe, sighing and ooing at everything he found interesting. He pushed me aside, forcing room for himself to walk through. This guy had no shame.

I watched him as he slowly walked around the room gently feeling everything he could. He touched the soft covers of my bed, and sat down in one of the desk chairs, lounging back.

"I could get used to this." What part of _Don't get comfortable _did he not understand?

Suddenly, he got up as he forgot something and ran straight to my closet. He opened the door, and walked inside.

This cannot be good. Who knows what he'll find in there? I followed him inside and pulled him out by his collar. It was easy to use force on someone who was so many inches shorter than you.

"Dumbass, watch your boundaries."

"It's just a closet, I wanted to see if _everything _you wear is black."

I can see why he wouldn't like that too much, considering he was wearing the brightest orange shirt I had ever seen in my life. I wouldn't be surprised if I go blind by the time he goes home.

"Whatever, let's just get this over with."

I sat down in one of the chairs, and started opening my word processor without waiting for him to sit down as well. I felt his eyes on me. It was one of those moments where I wasn't sure if I should turn around and punch him or if I should just ignore him. I did what I always did: I pretended not to notice.

I heard his ass plop down on the chair beside me and without even looking at him I could feel the excitement. This boy could not wait to get started.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm so ready!"

"You've been telling me this for the past half hour."

"What are some issues that plague this town?"

"You."

"No seriously Sasuke-kun! A real issue that plagues this town."

"Gossip. Assholes. Bitches."

"You're not taking this seriously."

"Well what the fuck are we supposed to write about?"

"I got it!"

Without saying a word, I watched him shift his weight onto me and grab on to the keyboard. He started typing:

_Garbage: The Biggest Plague_

"Garbage?"

"Yeah, why not?" He was so eager with his idea.

"Okay, whatever gets this done faster."

"Haha, Sasuke-kun?"

"What?"

"It doesn't even feel like work, it feels like a school group project!"

"Is that supposed to excite me?"

"Well, it excites me..."

"High school is terrible." This guy gets weirder and weirder by the second. Next thing you know he'll tell me he has an extra toe or something freaky like that.

"Not if you make it fun."

"How do you make it fun with dozens of people shoving attention down your throat?"

"You know we went to the same school right?" he said, without skipping a beat.

"No we didn't, I would've seen you idiot."

"It's also hard to see other people with dozens of teenagers shoving attention down your throat, but I saw you! I saw you leave the school every day through the back entrance. I figured it was because you wanted to escape the fan girls, so I never said anything, despite being asked about your whereabouts daily."

"Just keep writing, you idiot."

I sat and watched him write, cringing at every spelling error and grammatical error he made. It took every fiber of my existence to stop myself from reaching over his body and grabbing the keyboard from him. It was bad enough we were already so close, I didn't want this to become something completely awkward. I watched him write for two hours, which is probably the longest time he's ever kept quiet in one sitting. It was quite interesting actually, watching his facial expressions as he wrote. A quick crease formed between his eyebrows when he was blanking out, and he would just stare intently at the computer, not moving a muscle. I wanted to giggle, but I kept my expression as firm as always.

"Do you want a drink Naruto?"

"No."

"Surprisingly blunt."

"I'm busy."

I kept quiet until he was done his so called masterpiece. "Tada!" he said, with joy on his face. "What do you think?"

I waited a second, hoping to build some suspense in his mind before I replied.

"Move over, there's some shit I need to fix," I said as I nicely as I possibly could. I _was_ sitting patiently for over two hours, cut me some slack.

He got up, and sat on my bed. Now it was his turn to wait. For the next half hour, I sat there fixing his errors. Of course, they were all nothing major. What bothered me is that they were clueless mistakes. He had great flow, but the air to brain ratio was slightly high in his head clearly.

"It's alright idiot, despite the thousand stupid errors you made," I said as I started to save the article on my USB stick.

"Hey shut up, I did it all myself."

"I could've done a better job, you know."

"Then next time do it yourself!" He stuck his tongue out playfully.

"Do you want a drink or not?"

"I guess I didn't realize I am kind of thirsty."

I lead him downstairs. This time, he walked patiently behind me, as opposed to rudely cutting in front. I walked over to the kitchen, and pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge.

"You realize you're harming the environment by buying plastic bottles of water right Sasuke-kun?" he said, as I handed him the bottle.

"I don't give a shit."

"Maybe you should, animals are dying faster and faster these days."

"Bullshit."

"I don't und-"

"Shut up and drink your water."

I sat down, and watched him chug the bottle of water like he's been stranded in the Sahara for days.

"That was great Sasuke-kun."

"What was?"

"Us bonding." That surprised me. I expected either the refreshing water, or the article that he mostly wrote.

"I guess." Anything polite to say escaped me right now.

"Well, I have to get going! It's already late, and I need my beauty sleep."

_Clearly,_ I thought to myself. It amazed me how quickly that word nearly escaped my lips. It's not that he was ugly. He just looked a little disheveled, kind of like the way I looked earlier today.

"Okay."

I got up and walked towards the door. I opened it for him, and waited as he bounced towards me excitedly. Before he was about to walk through the door, he turned to me and hugged me as tight as humanly possible, making sure every bit of oxygen was forced out of my lungs.

"I'm so glad we're friends Sasuke-kun!" and he was gone.

I have a friend.

-x-

I was too excited to wait on writing chapter 2, so I did it now. I'm so excited to see how this story is going to turn out! Stay tuned, and don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I felt content lying in my bed that night after Naruto left. I was not happy, and I wasn't upset the way I would be most nights either. It was rather relaxing, to be completely honest. Maybe it was because I had social contact for the first time in weeks, apart from the grocery store clerk. Maybe it was because of Naruto's overpowering personality, which didn't leave me with even five-seconds to think about the demons of my past. Tonight my blades were tucked away within the depths of my closet. I felt no need for a release considering I had gotten it already through a bubbly blonde boy. Yes, Naruto is a man, but there is something about him that makes me feel as though I'm talking to a teenager as opposed to an adult. I'm sure his frail looking body gives everyone the same impression. I realized I wasn't dreading "work" the way I thought I would earlier today. I didn't exactly want to quit anymore either. It works out perfectly, you see? I get to pick up assignments and do them in the comfort of my own home without being bothered by anyone, except Naruto. If I had any say in the matter, I would fight for my right to work alone but I wouldn't be able to see Naruto's face as I begged to work alone instead of with him. I am positive he would be crushed. Not because he seems to really like working with me, I mean it's only been one day, but because he appears to be the really emotional type whom truly takes things to heart. I would appear as weak as him if I showed my emotions once in a while.

-x-

_BzzzzzzBzzzzzz_

Why is my phone vibrating this loudly so early?

_8:15 am._

Fuck! Within 45 minutes I would have to be present at work with Naruto by my side and the article we wrote yesterday. Seconds later, I stripped completely naked and jumped into the shower. My morning routine (recently formed, might I add) was significantly rushed as I felt the panic of being late on only my second day. I'm not one who enjoys leaving bad impressions towards authority, it's too embarrassing and despite not having that many girls surrounding me anymore, I still have my pride to maintain.

As I speed walked towards work (running was out of the question, considering my perfect hair had to be maintained somehow), a few questions gloomed over my confidence. What if Naruto was going to be late? Would that leave a bad impression on the two of us, or just him? What if he shows up looking like shit? I kept attempting to come up with plausible answers until I finally reached the doors of the grey, dome-like building.

As I walked in through the doors, the security guard recognized me, "Welcome back son." His smile did not seem to be so forced this time. I nodded warmly at him, the most genuine possible interaction I could have ever made with this stranger. Fortunately for me, I spared myself the awkward walk and talk with the security guard by remembering the way to Mr. Hatake's office myself. I felt a bit more comfortable roaming the confusing hallways this time, having a little more faith in myself and repeating to myself that I had already gotten the job. What could possibly go wrong now, aside from getting fired? I wouldn't be losing much except some social contact, and I was doing just fine without it up until now. My thoughts continued to ramble on until I reached the massive office for what felt like the first time. Walking in, I was surprised to see Naruto there already, smiling up at me.

"Early is on time, and on time is late Sasuke," said Mr. Hatake with a smirk. What the fuck does that even mean?

"My apologies."

"Nothing to apologize for. Naruto here was just a bit early because he was excited to get started on the next project."

"Are you kidding? We just did one in a single day! Doesn't that count for something?"

He didn't appear to be joking and Naruto was still smiling, appearing to be completely dumbfounded at our manager's words.

"You best get used to it Sasuke," I didn't like the way he said my name, almost as if he knew me, "there's plenty of work to be done."

"Clearly," I mumbled under my breath, only slightly audible.

"Since Naruto got here so early, I had a chance to look over your article and I must admit I am quite impressed. It was an even collaboration, correct?"

"Yes," we said in unison, not hesitating for even a second. I immediately looked in his direction and he looked in mine, flashing a smile.

"We need more articles from you two if we hope to get people to read the Guardian as opposed to using it on a rainy day as a backup umbrella. This is quality stuff," he shook our papers in his hand.

"What's the next assignment then?"

"Don't hurt me when I tell you."

I was hoping the obnoxious sound of my gulp wasn't too obvious.

"Oh boy, don't get me too excited sir!" He was nearly out of his seat.

"You will be excited, I hope. You get to go on a little advent-"

"NO WAY! Where are we going?" At this point he was standing.

"You guys are going a couple of hours north from here to the neighbouring village in order to do an article about poverty. You must briefly interview a minimum of 10 people and compile the information. Everyone loves a village that cares, right boys?"

"We can't go there, finish the assignment, and make it back here for tomorrow..." For the first time in a long period of time, I was ultimately confused.

"Oh, don't be silly. You guys have a whole week to complete this and arrangements have already been made for a hotel."

"What about my plans?"

"They can be put on hold."

"But what ab-"

"Its no use Sasuke. You either go on the trip, or you go home and never set foot in here again."

It was pretty clear it truly was a useless cause. I would have to go. I turned to glare at Naruto, hoping my unsightly eyes frightened him the way they frightened everyone else. He didn't even seem to notice.

"What about transportation, Mr. Hatake?" questioned Naruto, startling me out of my thoughts. I had not even thought of that.

"It's fine weather for walking these days."

"That's like 7-8 hours of walking ! This is a job, not a slavery."

"Eh, you could characterize it as both. You two are dismissed; the village will be expecting you. I suggest you pack light, and have fun! You can consider this a mini-vacation."

He winked at us both. With that, I angrily got up and stormed outside of the building, hearing Naruto's footsteps and calls behind me.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, wait up partner!"

I didn't particularly want to slow down. I didn't particularly wish to do anything with Naruto, especially for a long period of time. As I thought of the week I was going to have to spend with him, I tried to come to terms with my impending doom. I will die of a chronic migraine. I will commit suicide in his irritating presence. Maybe I can distract him somehow, that way he won't talk too much. How can I distract him on the way there though?

I made the mistake to look back, and in that split second we made eye contact, accidentally reassuring him that I was going to wait for him. I may be extremely rude and obnoxious to everyone else, but Naruto is almost like a child. You don't take candy from a baby right? I was going to avoid hurting his feelings as much as I possibly could, but given my personality, this would be a difficult task.

I stopped in place, and waited for him to catch up. He's fairly slow considering his height. Eye balling it, I would say he seems to be about 5'10 which is somewhat short for me, considering I'm a mighty 6'2. I think it may be the height that makes it difficult for me to escape attention from everyone in Konoha, especially the girls. I don't understand why height is so important for them.

"What's the plan?" he inquired, slightly out of breath. Ha. Plan?

"Define plan."

"When are we packing? Are we going to my house or your house first? How much are we packing? What are you wearing?"

I sighed before answering. "Let's get some things straight first. You don't ask so many questions. You also give me my much-needed personal space. I see that might be a problem, considering you don't even know what personal space is," I said to him as I slowly backed up, since his nose almost touched my face from being so close.

"Fine, but what's the plan?"

"Let's go to your house first, you pick up your shit, we go to mine and then after we leave. My house is closer to the village exit."

Without saying a word, he jumped ahead and started leading the way. I was surprised to find the walk there was very quiet, and short as well. He lived in one of the apartment buildings close to the flower shop. It was weird how many times I had walked past his place, yet had no particular idea of his existence.

"Try not to judge me too much," he said as he opened the door to room 313.

The bigger the view the door gave me by opening, the more disgusted I got. There were empty ramen containers everywhere on a tiny dining room table, and chocolate milk that seems to have a degenerating carton as a container. How long has that thing been sitting there for? The amount of bright orange shirts occupying his floor was more concerning and blinding for that matter than anything else.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and assume your favourite colour is orange." It was nearly impossible not to look disgusted. Couldn't he prefer a colour more pleasing and soothing to the human eye?

He simply turned to me and smiled as he walked inside, carefully deciding each step before he placed it on the floor, obviously fearful of dirtying the filthy shirts even more. I decided to wait outside, and then maybe I could spare myself the embarrassment of puking in his home. I awkwardly stood there, fiddling with my thumbs.

"You're not going to come in?" He looked sincerely surprised.

"No."

"Okay," he smiled and continued walking inside, this time not looking back. "You're missing out!"

Missing out on what? I've already seen the entrance, and based on that alone I'm fearful of what could be lying in the rest of his house. From this angle, it looked incredibly small. While he didn't strike me as the simple person who barely required much space at all, he seemed to be very low maintenance. To be honest, I'm not even sure if being low maintenance is such a bad thing. He probably has fewer concerns to clutter his brain. For the first time, I wondered where his parents were. This house can't possibly fit a family of 3, even 2. I wondered if he had questions regarding my parents when he came over, or if he had already heard the rumours floating around about them.

Before I even realized it, he came outside with a tiny suitcase and a smile on his face. I couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the orange fabric sticking out of the side of the suitcase. I shouldn't even be surprised at this point if all he packed was orange shirts.

"What, Sasuke?"

"Nothing idiot," I found it very difficult to mask my grin. I noticed that he left his door unlocked, "Aren't you afraid people are going to break into your apartment?"

His laugh took me by surprise, "What are they going to take?"

I took this as _I don't own anything of value so I'm not worried_. It made me a little bit sad actually. What kind of life did he had? I didn't know if I should be concerned with the fact that I'm sympathizing with this kid. Man. Adult. I don't even know what to refer to him as. I chose not to reply, and reached for the building exit as I headed towards my own house.

-x-

Our living conditions were incomparable, I reminded myself, as I walked inside my own house with Naruto closely behind. Mine was grand and beautiful, yet very lonely. His was dirty and small, but he was happy. Walking up the stairs, I tried to remember what I could need. It would be a full week so I'd need 7 shirts, a couple of jeans, a pair of sweatpants, 7 boxers (briefs are way too tight), deodorant, cologne, shower flip flops, tooth brush and paste, and a belt or two. The list had been created in my head before I even reached the top of the stairs, already knowing exactly what I'd pack and where it would be placed in my suitcase, twice the size of Naruto's.

Naruto sat on my bed and watched as I gathered my stuff, and within minutes I had a perfectly organized suitcase.

"Do you really need all that stuff?"

"Hygiene, Naruto. Ever heard of it?"

As soon as I'd said it, I bit my tongue hoping I could take back my snarky remark. I observed his eyes changed from gleaming with happiness, to shocked and hurt. What had I done? It wasn't my intention to hurt him.

His eyes tried to appear concerned with the family pictures hung up on my wall as opposed to continue staring at me. Attempting to escape the awkward situation, I picked up my suitcase and started to walk back out. He followed me of course, but not with the same eagerness as before. I could hear his steps were a lot more evenly paced this time.

Upon walking towards the village exit, I heard his stomach growl intensely. I ignored it the first time, but I couldn't help but comment when it happened again, twice as loud now.

"Naruto, what did you eat today?"

"I'm not hungry."

"That's not what I asked, idiot."

"I had some chocolate milk."

Oh no. How could this idiot possibly live on only chocolate milk without even having any breakfast? Expired chocolate milk makes it even worse. It was around 11 am now, close to lunch so I figure we may as well eat now before we leave.

"Let's get some food."

"But Sasuke, I told you I'm not hungry."

"Fine then I'll get food and you can watch me eat." I was just hoping he'd catch my bluff.

"Ugh, in that case I'll eat a little too."

We stopped by a tiny Japanese restaurant for some sushi take out. I could tell he felt uncomfortable letting me pay for the food, but at this point he didn't really have a choice nor room to complain. I got a massive box of noodles and some shrimp for later. We were bound to get hungry on the long walk.

We sat down at a little table across from each other, both avoiding eye contact. I ate while he just sat there, staring out the window. I wanted to see what caught his eye but all I could see was people walking by, people of all ages. I have never felt an urge to speak for the sake of breaking the silence ever before. It was an odd experience, one that I couldn't really control.

"What's so fascinating?"

"Nothing," he said, still staring out the window. "It's just always been interesting to me... Wondering what other people's lives are like. Some people look upset, while others are rushing, and others look like they just won the lottery." He was looking into my eyes by now. "I like learning someone's story, or at least hypothesizing about it." A smile flashed across his face, relieving me of the worries I've felt since I accidentally insulted him. Things would be okay, and I wouldn't have a 1-week trip with a moron who hates my guts. I suddenly remembered he still hadn't eaten.

"Naruto, I really don't feel like force feeding you so soon after we met."

"Why does it matter?" He teased this time.

"I'm the one who has to listen to the tunes of your stomach as it growls in agony, so take a piece of sushi and shove it in your mouth."

He reluctantly picked up a piece of sushi from the box, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. Why is he such an awkward eater? I left 3 giant pieces for him, and sat there waiting until he fully ate every piece.

"I like to play detective games, and figure out their lives."

"Huh?" I had already forgotten our previous conversation.

"You know, the people. I check out their clothes, shopping bags, and try to create their life story in my head. You should try it."

"Come on you idiot, let's go before your brain explodes from thinking too much."

With that, we got up and left the restaurant, once more heading for the village exit. Within 5 minutes we reached the exit and both stopped after we took one step outside the border. This was it. Our journey had officially started.

-x-

This marks the end of chapter 3. It was a fun one to write, but next chapter will be even more fun. Majority will be dialogue between the two meaning you'll get to learn much more about them and their past. Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far and please, don't forget to review! :)


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